Project: wcooper   -  
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Builder Name:William Cooper   -  
Project:   Vans - RV-10   -   VIEW REPORTS
Total Hours:29.5
Total Flight Time:
Total Expense:$175687.69
Start/Last Date:Jan 29, 2019 - No Finish Date
Engine:Lycoming YIO-540-D4A5 RT(Y)
Propeller:Hartzell C2YR-1BFP/F8068D
Panel:Garmin
 
Friendly URL: https://eaabuilderslog.org?s=wcooper

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Feb 17, 2024     Ailerons and Flaps       Category: LCP
I thought I had dodged a bullet on the Laser Cut Parts issue. I received an email from Van's saying that my wings were not affected, however they could not confirm that the the Ailerons and Flaps were in the clear. Well, on Thursday last week, I received another email saying that my Ailerons and Flaps were part of the LCP batch. So, the specific parts are the forward spar and bull nose ribs on both the Ailerons and Flaps. The problem being, how to replace just those parts? I have elected to purchase all the parts needed to just rebuild the Ailerons and Flaps from scratch.


 
Feb 15, 2024     Rear Seat Air Vent       Category: Interior Finish
Some people seal the Rear Seat Air Vent, some don't... As of now I plan to use it. I purchased the Rear Seat Vent from SFSA but their air box is too small and didn't fit inside as described in the instructions. I decided to fabricate the air box to allow a better fit. I made a template out of some heavy stock paper and then cut the parts from some scrap aluminum. When it's finished it should look very nice. A fairly simple project which was kind of fun.


 
Feb 09, 2024     Center Console GTN-650 Mount       Category: Avionics
Ken Markus gave me a nice big sheet of 3/8 in. high density foam so I wanted to start mounting the GTN-650 in the center console. I cut two pieces of the foam 2 1/2 in. x 9 in. and used some flox as an adhesive. I will probably have to add one more layer of foam before I sand it down and cover with glass fabric, to allow fitting of the GTN mounting bracket. I then cut out the hole for the GTN. Since I was working on the center console I wanted to install the Start Enable, Ignition and Fuel Pump switches. I had already cut the panel but needed to drill the switch holes. I then labeled the switches with my label maker. Perhaps at a later date I'll have it laser engraved.


 
Feb 07, 2024     Door Frame Edges       Category: Doors
I needed to build up the door frame edges so I used the technique of filling some sacrificial McMaster Carr Door Seal material with a resin and flox mixture. After I clean up the edges, I'll have to see how much I can grind the outside edge to get the doors to fit.


 
Feb 06, 2024     CanBus Wire       Category: Training
Getting ready for the avionics installation. I decided to dissect some Canbus Wire. There is even a YouTube video for the stripping instructions on the GigaFlight website. The construction of the wire is very interesting. There is an outer jacket and braided shield, like most shielded wires. Inside of that is a PTFE Tape Binder holding the two wires. There are two fillers of foamed FEP that provides the separation between the wires Also, there is a dual-wall insulation of the wires to maintain a 120 ohms-controlled impedance. The outer wall of the wires is 20AWG while the inner wall is 24AWG.


 
Jan 21, 2024     Door Pins       Category: Doors
Installed the Door Pin Blocks and Guides. Also the Center Lock. Per the plans, I started by fabricating door pin pointers to help mark the location to drill the door pins. After marking the location with the pins, I measured with calipers and marked it with a sharpie. I drilled the forward and aft pin holes and installed the Delrin pin guides. Finally, I installed the center lock.


 
Jan 04, 2024     Door Gas Struts       Category: Doors
While still adjusting the doors, I wanted to see if the Door Gas Struts would have any impact on how the doors lay up. I had ordered the Bansbach EasyLift B0N0F50-100-247/135lbs (600N). If they eventually give out I could possibly go up to 157 lbs 700N version, but that would be something to do down the road. Looking at the Van's instructions, it appears that the gas strut on the door side, with the shaft oriented up when extended. However, I checked with Bansbach and they said the shaft should be down. The instructions have you use the Van's WD-1023 Strut Attach Bracket as jig to help plan the location of the brackets. Since I'm using the aftermarket PlaneAround Strut Attach Bracket and had deleted the overhead bracket, I had to fabricate a jig to plan the holes on the cabin top. The PlaneAround bracket is nice because it allows for the McMaster-Carr door seals. The holes for the brackets on the door were fairly straight forward and simple to install per the plans. Since the BansBach Hinge Eye End Fittings were not the stock Van's width, I had to sand the width of the fitting to fit in the PlaneAround bracket and also adjust the bushing length to fit the eye and the bracket. Planearound suggests using a "glob" of resin to secure the cabin top backing plates. I used some JB Weld Marine epoxy adhesive which seemed to work quite well.


 
Dec 09, 2023     Door Seals       Category: Doors
First attempt at the door seals. Thankfully, I have extra McMaster-Carr seal material. The left door seemed very close to being ready but the right door frame will need some extra work.


 
Dec 02, 2023     Lower Air Scoop Support Bracket       Category: Engine Cowl
Was visiting Joe and helped him remove the lower engine cowling on his RV-10. I saw that the air scoop could be more easily removed by using a single screw into a nutplate for the support bracket rather than the six screws on the bottom. I could see that the nose gear and engine mount blocked mounting one after the fact. So, while I still had open access this was a good time to install one.


 
Dec 02, 2023     Door Hing Reinforcement Plates       Category: Doors
Installed the AirWard RV-10 Door Reinforcement Plates. They are a very nice product but the installation instructions leave much to be desired and the photos are even worse. First I installed the four MS21071L3 nutplates with 426AD3-4 rivets, in each of the interior reinforcement plates. These nutplates are the single wing type and tend to be a real pain to install as they can bend quite easily. The cabin top plates are flat and the door plates are designed to nest on the hinge. Using AN3C6A Bolts and AN960C3L Washers I secured them through the top reinforcement plates, door, hinge and into the bottom reinforcement plate. Some of the nutplates didn't align too well so they needed some persuasion with a 10-32 tap.


 
Dec 01, 2023     Door Hinges 2       Category: Doors
Continuing the door hinges. After positioning the cabin hinge halves in the pockets on the top of the cabin, the cabin top, inboard holes are match drilled. This allows the hinges to be pivoted to be square with the other hinge. A reference line is then drawn to help with keeping both hinges square. When aligned, the top outboard holes are drilled. I used a piece of scrap metal and two-sided tape to hold it to the hinge. This allowed me to clamp a ruler to both hinges to check alignment and freedom of the swing. The rest of the holes are then match drilled. Then was time to crawl inside the cabin and drill the door hinge halves from the inside - out. It was very gratifying to see the doors mounted and how smooth they open and close. I have elected to install the after market AirWard reinforcing plates. The installation of these plates also allows for much more easy removal of the doors if needed. That will be my next step.


 
Nov 24, 2023     Door Hinges       Category: Doors
Starting on the hinges. From what I understand getting the hinges square is probably the most important part of this step. The instructions have me cut the threads off of four AN3-21A bolts to a length of 1.688 inches. I cut them with a cutoff wheel on my grinder then got the final length and chamfer on the bench sander. I can see that the angle of the hinges is specific to a position on the doors. This is because the top of the cabin is curved and the hinge orientation keeps the axis of the hinges straight. The instructions have you start on the left door and put the WD-1018-L in the left side forward pocket with the WD-1018-R in the left side aft pocket. The instructions don't mention that this will need to be reversed on the right side door because of the hinge angles. I guess that Left and Right means when looking at it from the respective side. They also have you cut a .125 in. scrap of aluminum to help set the edge distance of the hinges in the pocket. I found that the bolt for the hinge set in the left side forward pocket was interfering with the hinge setting square. I had to Dremel out around the head of the bolt so it would lay straight. The aft hinge didn't seem to need as much of this adjustment.


 
Nov 24, 2023     More Doors       Category: Doors
Working on the left side door now. Trimming this door is going a lot faster. Still a lot of on-and-off to get the fit close. I found the scribe lines weren't very close and I would need to cut well inside of the lines. I made a scribing tool to help determine how much to trim off. Two thin scraps of aluminum riveted together. Drilled a hole for a marker pen and bent the other side to go in the door joggle. Same principle as a hole finder tool. Still had some gaps on the door edges that I'll have to fill later.


 
Nov 05, 2023     Door Trimming       Category: Doors
Actually got back to work on the doors. Started to trim the edges. The angle grinder with a thin cutoff wheel got the majority. Then I switched to a flapper wheel to get a closer fit. Then finishing with the Perma-Grit sanding block and Dremel tool. Lot's of on-and-off. I have quite a bit more to do, but it was a good start to see how it will fit and how much I need to trim off. I cut some angle aluminum and drilled #40 holes in the doors to cleco the doors in place after I cut off the alignment tabs on the doors. Then I used a drum sanding attachment for the inside radius curves.


 
Oct 19, 2023     Best Tugs Unboxing!       Category: Hangar
It was a long hot summer... Not much work on the plane got done. I did attend AirVenture in July. Retired from the Airline in August. Took a Cruise from Venice to Croatia and Greece in late September and a trip to Japan in early October. So, I guess it's time to get back to work. While at OSH, I purchased a Best Tugs A3 model. Today I unboxed it. It was fairly straight forward. But the instructions weren't up to date. The crate was fairly well constructed and did a good job of protecting the tug during shipping. However, they said there were screws. No screws, just nails. So, it wasn't as easy to unbox as described. Assembly of the tug was easy. Installed the kick stand and the tow arms. They also provided a charger that has a trickle charge feature. I'm a bit surprised at battery life. I drove it about 12 feet with no load and it was already at 76% from a fully charged battery. Hmmm. I might have to ask around about this. Well, here are the pictures.


 
Jul 01, 2023     Door Bonding       Category: Doors
I finally finished installing the door mechanisms, so now is the time to bond the door halves together. First task was to sand, using 60 grit sandpaper, the areas of the halves where the doors mate. I then masked the Cabin Top and Fuselage, where excess epoxy might squish out the edges, with clear packing tape. There are two areas inside the door that need a structural filler called ParaBeam, the cranial cavity and the elbow cavity. ParaBeam is a 3D fiberglass woven “sandwich” fabric. The latch pocket area doesn't use the ParaBeam filler. I cut the ParaBeam in 5" x 9" sections and then prepared the resin. It was a warm day so I knew I needed to work quickly. To start, I "painted" resin on the contact areas of the outer shell. Then I "wetted out" the ParaBeam in a paint roller tray and applied it to the areas on the inner door shell. Next, I prepared some Cab-O-Sil for the flange areas on the inner door half. Once clecoed together I was able to mount the door in the door frame with clecos, clamps and Gorilla Tape. One door down! Ran out of resin... Door 2 another day.


 
Jun 07, 2023     Door Handle Powder Coating       Category: Doors
I not a real fan of the white powder coating that Van's uses. So, last night my neighbor Tim Plasek was able to powder coat the inside door handles a nice satin black. His Home Based Company is Spring Powder Coating. Tim did the previous powder coating on the control sticks, exterior steps, tie down rings, and cabin center brace. Since he works out of his garage, he let me observe. He removed all the original powder coat the night before by sand blasting. The powder is a very fine material and adheres by an electrical charge. The positive charged powder is sprayed onto the negatively charged part. It is then baked to create a hard shell. Tim first applied a primer powder coat before the final color coating. I found it to be a very interesting process.


 
May 31, 2023     Door Arm Rests       Category: Doors
Again, a copy of Joe's ideas, I am installing Arm Rests on the Doors. The Arm Rest Pads came from Amazon and are replacement Office Chair Arm Rest Pads. Using angle aluminum I cut it to fit the bottom of the arm rest cutout. I drilled mounting holes to match the center door pin, then drilled some lightening holes. I purchased the AeroSport RV-10 Interior Door Handle Kit, however the handle cover extends too far aft when the handle is in the open position, it will interfere with the arm rest. I'll use the cover plate for the gearbox area and have the OEM door handle powder coated black rather than the standard Van's white.


 
May 31, 2023     Door Handle Mechanisim       Category: Doors
It's taking some time to understand how the Door Handle Mechanism goes together, but I'm finally getting the idea. Starting with the AeroSport instructions, they have you cut the WD-1022 Handle and C-1007 Pin to accommodate the new mechanism. Then follow the Van's instructions to install the C-1008 Handle Lever, which controls the door lock, and roll pin spring. Thanks to very long and skinny needle nose pliers to position the nutplate inside the Handle Lever and rivet it in place. The forward corners of the strike plate must be rounded to let it nest flat. The strike plate is used as a guide to make the holes in the door shells. Then match drill and rivet the handle plates which will attach to the new delrin spacer bock. Drilling the holes in the door shell was straight forward but a little nerve wracking as the space between the 0.25” holes and the new 0.90” lock hole is very thin. I'm using the ACS door locks and at first fit, i thought they were too short. I didn't notice that the 0.90" hole allows the lock to rest on the strike plate and once the cover plate is installed, the lock will be flush. This door handle is a very nice addition and I'm happy with the installation. Next step is to install the forward and aft door pins. The aft pin needed to be bent to parallel the bottom edge of the door shell. I just bent it by hand in the vice. The forward pin is much more short, so was a bit more difficult to bend. Finally, i painted the inside door shell with the same SEM Texture Coat then the final Lite Parchment Color Coat.


 
May 27, 2023     Autopilot Servo Service Bulletin       Category: Avionics
I double checked the Service Bulletin for the GSA 28 Autopilot Servos. The affected Servos are 011-02927-00 serial number 2PG015462 through 2PG016170 and 011-02927-10/11 serial numbers 5G9017349 and 5G9019731 through 5G9021528. Fortunately my servos are not affected. Yay!


 
May 27, 2023     Door Mechanisim and Door Handle Preparation       Category: Doors
Sanded and shaped the Door Pin Guide Blocks to nest in the pockets on the door. The Door Handle Gear Racks needed to be cut in half rather than per the Van's instructions. The top Rack Gear also needed to be beveled to allow full extension into the door at the elbow cavity. I used the bench sander to make the bevel. Then the AeroSport Door Handle Door Preparation started by setting the strike plate into position and marking guide lines for the holes to be cut and drilled for the door handles.


 
May 12, 2023     GTN-650xi Bracket       Category: Avionics
Planning how to install the GTN-650xi bracket inside the SFSA Throttle Quad Center Console. I'm leaning toward cutting down and sanding some foam then glassing it in. This will give me something along the interior sides to screw the bracket to.


 
May 12, 2023     Door Seals       Category: Doors
Working on the Doors continues. I wanted to see where the McMaster-Carr door seals would lay against the inner door shell. For the most part, the seals lay in place very well. Only two spots where the lip might be too thick and I will need to grind it down a bit. Many builders use Flox in a sacrificial door seal channel to build up the door frame edge in the thin spots. I don't think I'll need to do that. My next plan is to use SEM Texture Coat on the inside door shell before I paint the final color coat, but I want to mask off the area where the seal contacts the door so it would be against a smooth surface. I temporarily installed some sacrificial door seals then set the inner door shell in place. I traced a line around the edge of the seal to mark where I will mask it off. I'm also planning on adding an arm rest mounted to the door. I'll need to set the placement before I drill the mounting holes. I think it will make a nice addition.


 
May 05, 2023     PlaneAround Door Mechanisim       Category: Doors
I'm working off several different plans at the same time. Van's original, PlaneAround for the latch mechanism and AeroSport for the door handle. On the list today from the PlaneAround instructions, was to cut the Gear Racks that Van's supplied in half, giving four 5 inch racks. This installation is a bit different than how Van's has it. Then remove the cover off the gear box and determine where to match drill and countersink the holes. To secure the structural fiberglass blocks, I used some packing tape and wrapped the gear box, then mixed some Cab-O-Sil and epoxied them into place. That was it for the day, as I wanted the epoxy to set up before I messed with it any more.


 
May 04, 2023     Sorting it all out...       Category: Doors
Got some of the door parts together to get the interior mechanism started. I found the middle pushrods that are now included in the kit. This will make fabricating the aft pushrod much more easy as you no longer need to drill and notch the aft pushrod. Just cut it to the proper length and tap the cut end to accept the the new beveled end pieces. The first step was to mark a spot on the bottom edge of the door and drill a 1/2 inch hole for the gear box. The instructions have you cut a notch in the bottom edge of the door, but I believe that this is for retro installations. Since I haven't bonded the door halves together I plan to just drill the hole and go to the next step. I have seen other builders mention this. I can't see this part ever being removed as the pushrod ends attached to the rack gears isn't accessible when everything is in place.


 
May 04, 2023     Section 43: Cabin Cover Part 4       Category: Cabin Cover
Finished match drilling the F-10107 backing strips. Then had to trim some of the overlap at the bottom aft corners. After that I set the cabin top back on the fuselage to get back to work on the doors.


 
May 03, 2023     Section 43: Cabin Cover Part 3       Category: Doors
Match drilled the holes along the bottom edge and top aft part of the cabin top. Then counter sunk the holes. Also, match drill the reinforcing strip for the aft part of cabin top.


 
May 02, 2023     Jacks       Category: Tools
I made some Jacks for the airplane today. I used an idea I saw at the EAA 302 Tool Crib. I got three, 3 Ton Heavy Duty Long Ram Hydraulic Flat Bottom Jacks from Harbor Freight and cut a triangle base from some plywood. I used some electrical conduit, crushed and bent the ends, then used a rubber plumbing connector and some hose clamps to attach it. I was advised to use a triangle base rather than a square, as a triangle has better stability on uneven ground surfaces.


 
May 02, 2023     Chap 45-04 Gas Strut Doubler       Category: Doors
Continued work on the Doors Gas Strut Attach Doubler. First I mixed CAB-O-SIL into resin. My first time to mix resin and cab-o-sil. It's an extremely light powder used as a resin thickener. The plans said about 2 fluid ounces would be needed (I mixed 3 oz. and had plenty to spare). Then used 80 grit sandpaper to roughen the mating surfaces before spreading about 1/16th inch of resin mix onto the doubler and clecoing it into position. I used a small chip brush to spread it out. I'll let it cure before re-drilling the holes and doing the final riveting.
Update May 03, 2023: Cleaned and drilled the holes then did the final riveting.


 
Apr 30, 2023     Autopilot Servo Wire Bundle       Category: Avionics
The Autopilot Servo Wire Bundle had a 15 pin D-Sub connector attached on the avionics end. This would make it difficult to route the bundle forward to the panel. I removed the pinouts from the connector and labeled them to allow me to run the wires. After I run the wires, I'll re-pin the connector.


 
Apr 26, 2023     Chap 45-04 and Getting Organized...       Category: Doors
Finished drilling the set holes around the perimeter of the window frames today. I clamped the doors into position and rather than taping the top of the door down, I used some heavy metal weights on the top edge. Then removed the door and matched drilled and clecoed the door frame holes. Then it was time to organize the aftermarket door parts and sort out the separate plans. It took a while to locate all the parts. Specifically, the C-1011 and C-1012 Latch Pin Rods. Found them attached to the fiberglass landing gear leg fairing. I'm trying to use the plans as much as i can with the after market modifications I'm using. Then I beveled, trimmed and Match Drilled the Gas Strut Attache Doubler. They only needed slight flattening adjustments to fit the door shells inside radius. Next will be mixing some CAB-O-SIL and epoxy the doubler into position.


 
Apr 25, 2023     Door Frame       Category: Doors
Finished sanding the Door Frame Flange. Trying to get the flange straightened out to be able to accept the McMaster- Carr Door Seals. I think I got it where I want it. I started with an Angle Grinder and a Cutoff Wheel. For the corner curves I used a Oscillating Saw and a Dremel and a Drum Sander on a drill motor. To finish I used the Angle Grinder with a 80 Grit Flapper Whee and my Perma-Grit Sandier. I also flattened the curved lip of the flange by sanding down the high part of the curve. This will help make the door seal lay correctly. It looks like the gap will be right when I trim the door edges to fit within the frame. The doors will be set inward about 1/8 inch from the current fitting position when it's time to do the final edge trimming and setting the door edge gap.


 
Apr 24, 2023     Tailcone Forward Top Skin Access Panels Part 2       Category: Fuselage
Finally finished up the Access Panels on the Tailcone Forward Top Skin. Primed the inside of the skin and riveted the Reinforcing Plates into position. Then the riveted the nutplates. Finally used the supplied MS24693C48 Machine Screws for installation of the Panel.


 
Apr 19, 2023     Doors - Part 1 - (4 hours)       Category: Doors
I'm starting to install the doors. A lot of people have warned me that the doors are a very complex task, so I've been studying quite a bit.
In addition to the "OEM" Van's instructions, there are 5 different after market modifications that I plan to incorporate into the doors:
* PlaneAround Third Latch Mechanism with the new internal mechanism that allows the door handle to turn 180 degrees.
* Aerosport Low Profile Exterior Door Handle and Interior Door Handle.
* AirWard for the Main Door Hinge Reinforcing Kit.
* McMaster-Carr Door Seals
* and heavier duty Bansbach EasyLift Door Struts.
The first steps are mostly to plan. Basically, trimming the excess fiberglass around the doors and windows. First, I made some markings round the door edges and the window frame to mark where to trim the cutouts. I used a Popsicle Stick and drilled some #40 holes at the prescribed lengths to make a drawing gauge and used a ultra fine point sharpie to make the marks. Then I marked drill points 1-1/2 inches apart around the middle window line perimeter. This will be for clecoing the halves together. Then I trimmed the door halves along the lines. There are index holes which are used to square the door in the frame. The left side forward and aft index holes seemed to line up with the holes on the fuselage side, but the holes on the right side didn't align quite as well and I had to re-drill the aft index hole on the inside shell. The exterior shell index holes in the window area didn't line up with the interior index holes. Van's has some guidance to find the holes along the bottom edge of the door but if you use a Hole Finder you can skip this step. I used a Hole Finder Drill Guide to drill the holes along the bottom edge of the doors which was by far the easy way. I then clecoed the doors in place. Next, I'll continue to drill the cleco holes around the perimeter of the windows and sand the contact points in preparation for bonding the halves together.


 
Apr 07, 2023     SteinAir Panel Arrives!       Category: Avionics
The Panel and Avionics from SteinAir arrived today. I really like the box that it came in. The box top is laser engraved with the panel design. I plan to hang it on the hangar wall ! Then I did some preliminary unboxing. In the box was some "bling" (t-shirts, hat, pens and stickers), along with the wiring schematic and a thumb drive with the schematic and other Garmin manuals. I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I'm hoping the installation will go smoothly. So much to learn.


 
Apr 01, 2023     Center Console       Category: Interior Finish
I worked on the aft section of the center console. I fabricated a plate for the rear seat headphone and mic jacks as well as a USB outlet. I then painted a "texture coat" on the console before applying the final color coat. I also installed some cup holder inserts into the molded cup holders. I feel that will give them more stability.


 
Mar 31, 2023     Tire Instalation       Category: Landing Gear
I made a tool to help tire installation. I saw a photo of this on VAF. I cut a hole in a 24x24 piece of plywood using a Kline Tool Adjustable Hole Cutter. It's normally designed for cutting holes in sheet metal, like air conditioning ducts but worked well on the plywood.


 
Mar 28, 2023     Overhead Console Wiring       Category: Interior Finish
Wanted to do some of the Overhead Console wiring today. Fortunately, the overhead console is pre-wired by SFSA. I added a speaker. and installed the vents and eyeball lights. I have the wiring schematic and plan to eliminate the forward overhead dome light, as I want to install the exterior light switches on the overhead. I just bypassed the forward dome light and changed the molex connector. Like the lower center consoles, I painted the overhead console with a texture coat then the final color coat.


 
Mar 25, 2023     Interior Fiberglass Repairs       Category: Fiberglass
There was some small damage to the Aft Center Console and the Overhead Console during shipping. It was an easy repair so I elected not to make a big deal about it when it was shipped. I used SuperFil mixed to it's 2:1 ratio. Superfil is a lightweight epoxy filler for rough fill and contouring. More easy to mix than adding microballons to epoxy. It seems to spread quite nicely. They say it is easy to sand once cured. Crossing fingers...


 
Mar 23, 2023     TO/GA Buttons Pt. 2       Category: Avionics
Finished wiring the TO/GA buttons on the throttle. I fed the wire pairs into the holes on the knobs that I drilled and set a piece of Heat Shrink over the Throttle Lever portion. Then I fed the wires into the heat shrink and along one edge. It was a fairly tight fit but it worked. The wires are hardly noticeable and I think it's a very nice feature.


 
Mar 21, 2023     Infinity Stick Grip Wires       Category: Avionics
I spent some time tracing the wires in the Infinity Stick Grip. I made the mistake of taking the grip apart to look inside... Big Mistake. It took quite some time to get it back together without pinching any wires. Once back together I decided to use my multi-meter to find the switch to wire-pairs. There are 16 wires (actually 17, a black wire that is not used) and there does seem to be a somewhat organized system to the wire pairs. I got lucky on the very first two wires I selected and they were on the green "start" button. From there it was just a process of elimination. The black 17th wire is some kind of spare and not used.


 
Mar 21, 2023     TO/GA Buttons Pt. 1       Category: Avionics
Started to install the TO/GA Switches on the Throttle. Got the idea from Joe. First I drilled a small hole in each side of the throttle. The button that I'm using is a momentary ON type and has a screw-on clamp terminal, so I used a small molex pin and cut the tip off to make a lug for the wire to tighten the the clamp on. Then I used some heat shrink tube to make chafe protection through the hole I drilled. Finally a quick continuity check to ensure that the connections were good.


 
Mar 19, 2023     Flap Position Sensor       Category: Flight Controls
I wanted to assemble the Ray Allen POS-12 Flap Position Sensor. I cut a small section of piano hinge and riveted the Position Sensor to one wing of the hinge. The parts I used were a bent piece of aluminum, a 1" Cushion Clamp, AN526C632R8 pan head screw, and a MS21042-06 tiny lock nut. To allow a slight offset between the bent aluminum and the sensor arm, I 3D printed a small bushing. I still need to find the correct position to rivet the upper portion of the hinge to the rear spar bulkhead, but I think I am close. I'll need to connect a Molex connector or perhaps a small terminal block to the 3 wires on the sensor.


 
Mar 18, 2023     Finished Fuel Selector       Category: Fuel System
Finished installing the Fuel Selector, finally. The new one piece bracket fits well now. I got the selector positioned so that it would fit in the hole on the center console, With the tunnel cover in place I used a rubber sheet as a cover seal. Once in the correct position, I was able to rivet the bracket in place.


 
Mar 15, 2023     Back to the Fuel Selector Bracket       Category: Fuel System
I wanted to finish the tasks needed to close up the Tunnel. The Fuel Selector Bracket needed work. I got some 0.063 aluminum and cut out a new bracket using the original as a template. The Andair valve has holes for nutplates making installation easy. I'll have to make sure the valve is properly aligned and then rivet the bracket into position.


 
Mar 14, 2023     Windows!       Category: Fuselage
The windows arrived today. I ordered the Cee Bailey's window set with the Solar Gray tint. They have a good reputation for better fit as well as the tint option. The box was a little beat up but the contents appear to have arrived undamaged.


 
Mar 04, 2023     Rudder Cable Vinyl Tubing       Category: Fuselage
The Air Conditioner has quite a bit of hoses in the tunnel area that have a potential to cause chafing against the rudder cables. SFSA provided some vinyl tubing. It was just a little short for both sides. I got some extra but it wasn't pre-split. I made a Tube Splitter out of a 2x4 and a razor blade. I cut an angle off the 2x4, drilled a 1/2 inch hole and then split the 2x4 in half. I inserted a razor blade and clamped it together. Passing the tubing through the hole splits the tubing lengthwise and makes nice anti-chafe protection in the tunnel.


 
Mar 03, 2023     Starter Solenoid       Category: Electrical
I wanted to test fit the Starter Solenoid and make the cable. I noticed that the Oil Cooler Box was in very close proximity to the Starter Solenoid location and was concerned that it would interfere. I'm told that the Starter Solenoid should be positioned upside down, so that any excess positive G Load would not affect the internal contact. I clecoed the box into position and assembled the terminals to the cable and attached to the through firewall post to the solenoid. It all seems to fit quite well.


 
Mar 01, 2023     Some Wires       Category: Electrical
Did some basic wiring today around the Main Battery area. First I connected an External Power Plug to the Main Battery. Then installed a lead with a plug on the backside of the bulkhead area to make removal more easy. Then installed a Hot Battery Bus. I wired a #2 Ignition Lead from the Hot Battery Bus, forward toward the Instrument Panel. I also started a fused lead from the Hot Battery Bus for a Dome Light switch to be installed later.


 
Feb 28, 2023     Stripping and Crimping RG-400 Coax Cable       Category: Training
I wanted better results on stripping and crimping Coax Cables and BNC Connectors. After a lot of reading and YouTube, I found good tool to strip RG-400 Coax Cable on Amazon. I got the ConnectoRF Cable Stripper RG-58/59/6, 3-Blade Model (HT-322) for about $13.00. It's designed for RG-58/59/6 cables and since it has 3 blades it cuts RG-400 very well out of the box. I set the cable in the jaws leaving about 1/16" extended from the edge. Clamp it down and spin it around a couple of times. I slide the Feral over the end before I crimp so the braided shield portion doesn't get messed up sliding over it. Then pull off the shielding. The Dielectric might require using pliers to pull off the core wire. Ensure 3/16" core wire is extending from the core and insert the Pin. Look for wire in the witness hole on the pin. Using the Pros'sKit CP-371 Crimper with Coax jaws, crimp the Pin using the .068 small crimp hole. Rest the shoulder of the pin on the outside edge of the jaw and squeeze. Be sure to give a "tug test" on the pin. slide the BNC connector over the Pin and Dielectric and rotate the connector flaring the Shield out a bit. Push on the BNC until it snaps. Slide the Feral over the Shield until it buts against the BNC base. Crimp the Feral using the .213 crimp. Finally do a continuity test to make sure the pin isn't shorted to the BNC housing.


 
Feb 23, 2023     Panel Planning       Category: Avionics
Got some word from the folks at SteinAir. First was Josh Swensen who is helping design the panel. Using the plan I drew in PowerPoint he developed a final draft of what it would look like. Then Nick Wiedl who is working on the interconnect drawing. He had quite a list of questions like what discrete functions I wanted on the GEA-24 and GAD27. With the help of Joe, I came up with a list that Nick could use as a start. He also came up with the Equipment Layout plan. And just today Danny Jones, who does the Laser Engraving wanted to know what color lettering I was planning. I'm going with a dark brown color panel and I believe that white lettering will look the best. Really looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I must say the folks at SteinAir are tremendous to work with.


 
Feb 21, 2023     ELT Antenna       Category: Avionics
Finally got the ELT Antenna installed today. I should have done this much earlier in the build as the location I used was very difficult to reach from the rear deck area. Struggled almost 2 hours but finally got it set.


 
Dec 30, 2022     Propeller Unboxing       Category: Propeller
Today I received my Hartzell Propeller. I ordered it along with the engine back in July. The target for the engine delivery is January 2024. A year from now. I ordered the standard 80 in. Hartzell Aluminum 2-blade blended airfoil, model number HC-C2YR-1BFPX/F8068DX.


 
Dec 20, 2022     Zip Tips - Unboxing       Category: Wings
Got my Zip Tips today. My early Christmas present! I ordered them at AirVenture in OSH. They were very well packaged and appear to be undamaged. Damien included a Posistrobe tail light as a show special. Now there is no need to cut a hole in the leading edge of the wings to mount landing lights. It's said that with the Zip Tip Premier version there is a slight increase in performance with the winglet style tips. Who knows... they might offset the drag induced by the AC Scoop on the bottom of the fuselage. :) I'm not to sure about that but who cares, they look really cool. These wingtips have a fully contained lighting module for the Landing Light, Taxi/WigWag, Navigation and Strobe. They also have a built-in Rear Position/Strobe. I'm hoping that this will simplify wiring.


 
Dec 19, 2022     Another Try...       Category: Interior Finish
So, with a little help from YouTube, I decided to try and use a steamer to help smooth and stretch out the wrinkles around the shoulder area. It really did seem to help. I brought them inside my home office as the garage is a bit on the cool side today and it's raining and didn't want to drive up to the hangar. I'm much more happy with the results and feel that I'm getting closer. If they need a little more persuasion, I can do it again.


 
Dec 09, 2022     Front Seat Uppholstry       Category: Interior Finish
I finished putting the front seat back covers on. The video instructions were fairly good. I feel they were better than the "storyboard" instructions. Start by measuring from the top edge of the seat back portion. Down 15cm and another 10cm. From the center 7cm and another 5cm each side of center. This will be for the tuft ties will go. Position and glue the foam seat back, head rest and lumbar support into position on the seat frame using 3M 1357 Contact Adhesive. Then cut into the seat back foam along the horizontal lines. With that, drill holes in the seat back to allow zip ties to pass through being careful not to drill the seat frame along the top. Two holes must be cut in the press board seat back to allow access to pull the zip ties. I added 1" edge foam as suggested in the video instructions to make it more full looking. Then it's time to "dress" the covers over the foam and frame. This is where I ran into some issues... I found the sewing not quite square to the frame. This caused a twist from the headrest to the seat back area. Eventually I got it fairly square. I may try stretch the leather or use a heat gun to help smooth the wrinkles. The right seat is more obvious than the left seat.


 
Nov 30, 2022     Tailcone Forward Top Skin Access Panels       Category: Fuselage
Clecoed the F-1074 Tailcone Forward Top Skin into place to get ready for match drilling the Cabin Cover. I needed to dimple and final size drill the holes on the forward edge and put a slight bend in that edge as well. I was planning on installing the access panel flange but my rivet squeezer foot pedal is still causing problems. I contacted NumatX and they will send me a new one. With the Forward Top Skin in place I can see how much easier it will be to access the Air Conditioner for service in the future. Not to mention the ease of riveting the skin into place when the time comes.


 
Nov 28, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover
I think I finally got the Cabin Top trimmed to fit. Thanks to the Kayak Hoist, I was able to take it on and off easily to fine tune the fit. I know that I'll have some filling to do once it's ready for the final install, but it's pretty good right now. The plans have me clamping the rear edge of the door frame into place and prior to match drilling. My next job is to temporarily install the top skin aft of the cabin top before match drilling. Having the Cabin Top on really makes it look like an airplane!


 
Nov 24, 2022     Front Seat Uppholstry       Category: Interior Finish
Short rainy day project I could do at home in the garage... I wanted to put the leather seat covers on the bottom portion of the front seats. The "Story Board" that SFSA provided was kind of lacking. However, SFSA does provide a link to an installation video that stars Eliane. She does a very good job of explaining the installation and makes it look easy. First you mark a line 20cm from the aft edge of the foam. Find the center and mark a line each side of center at 7cm and 12cm. Then, using a "needle" (I used a short piece of stainless pin, bent over to form a eye) thread the two strings through the inner 7cm line to the bottom of the cushion and tie if off using a small piece of leather as a backing. Then paint a light coat of 3M 1357 Contact Adhesive along the bottom aft seam lines. After that, tuck all the foam in and zip it up. They say that you can use a heat gun to help smooth out some of the wrinkles but I think mine turned out fine. I'm looking forward to doing the seat backs now.


 
Nov 22, 2022     Fiberglass for RV and Sheet Metal Airplanes       Category: Training
The EAA has put a few of their SportAir Workshops on-line. I guess this was due to Covid but the advantage is that with the course being on-line I don't have to wait until a class is available nearby. This on-line version can be viewed at home on a computer or any mobile device and is available for an indefinite period. I took the Fiberglass for RV and Sheet Metal Airplanes course and it is over 6 hours of video training. It can be stopped, backed up and reviewed multiple times so for myself is the perfect resource for basic fiberglass techniques. It covers the different resins and fillers and has some nice projects to practice. I was concerned about the bottom windshield transition and this is one of the practice projects. The course also covers making molds and repairs.


 
Nov 18, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover
Getting closer... I got the width of the door well but need to trim some off the bottom so the top will sit far enough down so the joggle in the aft area is close. The diagonal on the forward post area probably needs work as well.


 
Nov 10, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover
Joe used a Kayak Hoist to lift and lower the Cabin Top while fitting on his RV-10, so I ordered one on Amazon for less than $30. I have a 12ft ladder that almost gets to the center beam of the hangar. The hoist is mounted on a 2x4 and I used C-Clamps to secure the hoist to the beam. Tomoko came out to give me a hand and spot me while I was up on the ladder. I'm not a fan of heights so the ladder is a necessary evil. But I must say that the hoist system works quite well. This is the first fitting and I can already see that I need to grind just a little more to get it to sit in the door well.


 
Nov 06, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover
More trimming of the Cabin Top today. Still more to go but the majority of the cutting and sanding is close to finished. The sides of the door wells are as thin as everyone says. I haven't trimmed the bottom of the door frame yet. I'm very close to the first fitting. I even tried fitting some of the McMaster-Carr Door Seal material to see how it would lay around the door edges.


 
Nov 02, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover
Continued work on the Cabin Top. Still doing the rough cuts. So far, I'm using the Angle Grinder with a Cutoff Wheel, a Die Grinder with Cutoff Wheel and a Oscillating Saw. The pneumatic die grinder uses a lot of air and the compressor runs constantly and it has a tendency to bog down. So, it's not my favorite. The long straight cuts the Angle Grinder works well. Also a belt sander helps. When I need more control the Oscillating Saw works better. I used a Dremel for the smaller radius cuts. I also got a 80 grit flap disc for the grinder which helps with some of the areas the belt sander can't reach. Measuring the door frame width, it looks like it's still about 1/4 inch too wide. So, another 1/8 inch on each edge needs to come off. For the inside radius of the windows and door the drum sanding wheel works well.


 
Oct 28, 2022     Tailcone Forward Top Skin Access Panels Part 1       Category: Fuselage
Rich finally talked me into having access panels in the Tailcone Fwd Top Skin to allow access to the air-conditioner in the future. AirWard has a nice kit with two panels. One for each side. I did make one change. The nutplates supplied with the kit were MS21047L08 (K1000-08) and I substituted K1100-08's that allow space for a dimple in the skin. I plan to run a bead of Pro Seal around the doubler plate to help with water ingress. I did check the cost of a new skin before I made the first cut. The cutting went fairly well. I started with a nibler that attached to my drill motor, then a cutoff wheel on a pneumatic grinder and finally a 5 inch sander and a drum sanding wheel for the inside radius of the corners to give a nice finished edge. I also left a 1/16th inch paint gap around the edges.


 
Oct 27, 2022     Section 43: Cabin Cover       Category: Cabin Cover
Started trimming the edges of the Cabin Top. These are just the first rough cuts that I'll have to sand down to the correct fit. I used a grinder with a cutoff wheel which worked quite well for these initial cuts. There is a very faint line scribed in the fiberglass that I marked with Sharpie. I cut outside of the marked line and will finish the edges later.


 
Oct 27, 2022     SECTION 35: ACCESS COVERS AND FLOOR PANELS       Category: Fuselage
I noticed that the Bolt Access Cover Plate has quite a gap along the top edge. I was concerned that it was a place for dirt to get into over time. I made a modified version of the plate that has a small bend at the top that covers gap. It was a small and easy project.


 
Oct 26, 2022     Forward Fuselage       Category: Fuselage
Joe suggested that I paint the underside of the forward fuselage white. This is to facilitate installation of the avionics with easy visibility and contrast.


 
Oct 18, 2022     Brake Return Springs       Category: Flight Controls
Both Joe and Rich advised me to install return springs on the brake master cylinders. This will help prevent the possibility of dragging brakes. It consists of parts from McMaster-Carr:
Set Screw Shaft Collar - 9946K13
3/8" nylon sleeve - 6389K625
3" spring - 9657K435
3/4" nylon sleeve - 6294K441
nylon plastic washer - 90295A470


 
Oct 04, 2022     Stic Grip Mounting       Category: Electrical
Started to mount the Infinity Stick Grips. This required the Sticks to be cut down so that once the grip is in place it doesn't hit the instrument panel. i purchased the swivel mount option for the grips. This allows a natural positioning of the grip relative to the offset. It simplifies clocking of the grip for different pilot seat positions by pivoting 90 degrees.


 
Oct 03, 2022     EarthX Battery Tray Mod       Category: Electrical
I can't really take credit for this. I have been thinking of something like this for some time but couldn't figure a design that would work. I saw this design on the VAF. I'm not CAD savvy in any way, but Jon on VAF was able to send me the STL file that would enable me to print his design. I'm new to 3D printing so I'm learning a new skill. I researched and decided to purchase a nice but modestly priced printer. Once I obtained the STL file I needed to open it in a "slicer" application. The one that came with the printer was simple to understand and seemed to work well. The bottom part of the tray is printed in two parts which are then glued together. The top is in one piece. I have to say the printer worked quite well out of the box with no adjusting of settings required. The print took quite some time to complete. The top alone was over 20 hours, but I'm quite satisfied with the results. The bracket is designed to have the battery sit offset from center. This allows the cross bar to stay clear of the terminals. The top fit the battery very well but the bottom needed some sanding to trim the sides down a bit.


 
Sep 18, 2022     Front Seat Installation pt. 3       Category: Interior Finish
Also finished installing the AeroSport Seat Levers. Very straight forward installation and a nice addition. One hole needed to be drilled in the side of the seat frame for the pivot bolt. 12 1/2” from the front of the seat frame and 1 7/16” up from the bottom of the seat frame. Had to hammer out the pin to remove the "T" handle. The pivot bolt is a 1/4” AN4-6 bolt and two washers. Then replaced the OEM handle with a 3/4” 5-40 fastener through the stock handle and the seat lever and fastened with washers and a lock nut.


 
Sep 18, 2022     Front Seat Installation pt. 2       Category: Interior Finish
Today was finishing up installing the Mid Seat Rail Support. I used some stubby wrenches including a stubby flex head ratcheting wrench which was probably the most useful. I elected to install the bolts from the bottom as trying to start a nut and washer on the bottom would be most difficult. I even used a Popsicle stick with some two-sided tape to help position the bolts from the bottom. With the stubby wrenches it all went very smoothly.


 
Sep 12, 2022     Front Seat Installation       Category: Interior Finish
I wanted to finish adjusting the rudder pedals. This required the front seats to be installed. Part of this included installing the Mid Seat Rail Support which is located under the front seat pan decks and is attached to the main gear support. These Mid Seat Rail Supports should really be installed prior to the main gear support being installed. The hardest part of this task by far is tightening the bolts. These brackets are in a very awkward location and it's difficult to get tools into the correct position. I got two out of the 4 bolts installed on one seat. I'm working on the other two... I'll need to get back to them with a fresh attitude. It looks like it requires stubby wrenches, box ends ground down in thickness. I also purchased the Aerosport Seat Lever which enhances the Seat Adjustment "T" handle. This is a very nice addition and a simple installation.


 
Sep 11, 2022     QB Wings Arrival !!!       Category: Wings
My QB Wings arrived today! Stewart Transportation does many aircraft kit deliveries as well as Cobra Car kits for Factory Five Racing. Their truck has an impressive crane system inside the box that makes unloading much more easy than a lift gate. The Driver, Mark and his wife showed up about 1230 to my hangar and we unloaded the wings. There were two fairly light weight boxes that contained the Flaps and Ailerons, one wooden crate that had some miscellaneous parts and the bottom skins and of course the two wings. Everything showed up in excellent condition. No damage to anything. I had made the cradle and they told me that of the previous 3 wing deliveries I was the only one that had made a cradle. So the unboxing and inventory began. I got all the small stuff sorted. I'll finish the bigger stuff tomorrow.


 
Sep 05, 2022     Wing Cradle       Category: Workshop
I got word that my wings will arrive this weekend. Yay! Only a two year wait... So, I needed to make a wing cradle to help store them and keep them safe in the hangar until I'm ready to work on them. I used a plan that I found on VAF and modified it slightly. I got the basic frame complete using 5 - 2x4x8s. Next made the gusset angle pieces out of 3 - 24x24 plywood. I got casters and a 4" tow strap from Harbor Freight. The straps will be used for the slings. The only waste is a 10" piece of 2x4 and the corner pieces of the plywood used for the gussets.


 
Aug 10, 2022     Wheels and Brakes Unboxing       Category: Landing Gear
Yesterday I received the Matco Wheels and Brakes that I ordered at AirVenture. Very well packaged.


 
Aug 05, 2022     Paint       Category: Paint
Working with Tyler at Evoke and I think we have come up with a design Tomoko and I like. Jonathan and his team are wonderful to work with. They are pricey but from what I have seen, it's worth it. I had a chance to meet them at AirVenture. There was a RV-10 on display in their area. I'm on the Evoke list for December 2024....


 
Aug 04, 2022     AirVenture 2022       Category: Research
I attended AirVenture 2022. My first trip to OSH and it was all that I had hoped for. I flew to ORD then rented a car and drove to OSH. I was able to stay at a private home which was very close to the AirVenture Venue. Tom Massey was kind enough to bring up a small camping chair and umbrella for me to use at the airshow. My first day was on Sunday, before the show and I was able to see the EAA Museum at a leisurely pace. Monday I had a mission. I had a shopping list and wanted to get right on it. My first stop was Van's tent to see if I could make a deposit on my engine and prop any maybe get some kind of discount if not discounted shipping. Sorry to say no luck with this. They said to just order it on their website. I did get to see the RV-15 prototype and meet some YouTube folks, Christine The Plane Lady and her husband Tyler, as well as Jason Ellis. Next stop was Matco. I was able to order their RV-10 Wheel and Brake package. At least Matco gave me free shipping. Then I found Aveo Engineering and spoke to Damian. Here I was able to order my ZipTips. Other stops were to Evoke where I met Jonathan, Lycoming to talk to them about engine options, E-Mags where I learned that they may become a Lycoming option soon, Sporty's to check out hand held radio and Stein where I got $1000 T-shirt from Stein himself !! I also stopped by the ASA booth as I worked for ASA back in 1978. It was nice to see their success over the years. The night airshow was the pinnacle of the event. Over all it was a very successful trip and I look forward to doing it again. The good news is that when I got home, I ordered and made a deposit on my Engine and Propeller.


 
Jul 14, 2022     New AC Wiring Schematic       Category: Air Conditioning
Luiz was kind enough to send an updated schematic for the AC. There are a few differences that helped me understand the system. Much of it is in Portuguese so I spent some time translating it and making notes. There are still a few wires and connections that aren't labeled or mislabeled that I had to identify and update.


 
Jul 07, 2022     AC Wiring       Category: Air Conditioning
Starting to figure out the schematic coding for the various wires and connectors. I think... The wire bundles are fairly well laid out but locating the labeled wires and connectors in the schematics is a little difficult. I find that adding my own labels really helps. I think A - goes to the Console. B - goes to the back of the Evaporator/Blower. C - Power Supply. 67A and 67B are faston's to the Thermostat. From the schematics it looks like it doesn't matter what side of the Thermostat terminals are connected to. TA was to the Temperature Sensor. 67 and 67A use a unique plug connector to the Pressure Switch. The male side of the B plug needs work. The pinout in the B connector doesn't match the wiring diagram. The male side of the B connector has V1,V2, V3 and 0 coming out of the blower resistor inside the blower box. It also looks like a re-circulation servo on the rear bottom of the blower box with two wires labeled MR+ and MR-. I cannot locate these on the schematics. The female side of the B connector has V1,V2, V3 and 0 but has RA+ and RA-. I can't find these on the schematic either. I've reached out to Luiz at SFSA for guidance.


 
Jun 30, 2022     SCAT Tubes and Hoses       Category: Air Conditioning
Connected the SCAT tubes for the Heater System and the AC Vents. New learning experience... Had to learn techniques of how to install SCAT tubes by cutting out a bit of the wire to allow it to fit over the vent flanges. I also need to ask about interference of the SCAT tubes and the rudder peddle center horns.


 
Jun 29, 2022     FWD NACA Vents       Category: Air Conditioning
Started to work on the FWD NACA Vents. The SFSA NACA Vent template was a perfect match for the Van's vent. I'm going to use Chem Seal adhesive along with pulled rivets to attach the vents. Today I drilled the rivet holes and clecoed the vents in place. I need to make a face plate with a 2 1/8" hole for the eyeball vent. I painted them with SEM texture paint. It helps hide some imperfections in the plastic surface. I added an insect screen inside the vent. Using RV Vent Cover Screens and trimmed to fit inside the bowl of the vent worked very well.


 
Jun 17, 2022     New Battery Terminals       Category: Electrical
Found some new Terminals for the EarthX EXT900-VNT Battery. It allows an additional terminal connection and is a lower profile attaching on the side rather than on top.


 
Jun 17, 2022     More Relay Fun - Door Indicator Light       Category: Training
Had some more fun using relays. I wired up a practice circuit using the magnetic switch for the Door Open Indicator Light. Same idea as a simple light switch circuit but this time uses the 87A pin of the 5-pin relay which is Normally Closed. This would cause the light to be ON when the switch is Open. Closing the switch extinguishes the light.


 
Jun 12, 2022     Practice Relay Circuit       Category: Training
Too hot to go to the hangar.... Had some fun making a practice circuit using a switch and a relay. I understand relays but have never wired one. So this was a nice little learning experience. Watched some YouTube videos and got a small LED light and a automotive relay on Amazon. Using switches that I planned for the airplane and some wire I had around the house, I started by making a simple one switch one light circuit. Then I made a one switch two light circuit. Using a DPDT ON-ON-ON switch allows an OFF position then 2 ON positions. This simulates OFF / Wig-Wag only / Wig-Wag + Landing Light positions. Nice afternoon indoor project on a hot day.


 
May 23, 2022     A/C Continuted... NACA Vents       Category: Air Conditioning
Cut the holes for the NACA vents today. Drilled the corners and then used a Dremel to make the cuts. Finished with a file and deburring tool. It's just a little nerve wracking to cut a hole in the side of the airplane. After discussing with another builder how to attach the plastic NACA vent scoops, I decided to use Proseal adhesive and Pulled Rivets to secure the scoops in place. I used the template to mark and drill the rivet holes. Seemed to work fairly well. Waiting for the Proseal to arrive... Since I'm doing the Aft NACA vents I'll attach the Fwd Vents at the same time.


 
May 21, 2022     Electrical System Design       Category: Electrical
I've spent quite a bit of time thinking and re-thinking the electrical system. I've read the AeroElectric Connection by Bob Nuckolls and Aircraft Wiring Guide by Marc Ausman. Both have been very helpful. I think I'm going to go with one Main Battery, two Alternators and a TCW IBBS plan based on the AeroElectric Z-12 design. I was thinking of a VPX-PRO design but I'm concerned about the added complexity. However, the VPX Installation and Operating manual has also been a good resource to find what is and isn't needed in the basic plan. I think I have a draft of the plan complete but will get it looked at before I get too deep. For ignition I've been reading about P-MAGs. Also drafting up a Instrument Panel design. Planning on three G3X GDUs for PFDs and MFD and a G5 as an ISFD with a GMC 307 Autopilot and GTN 635 Nav.


 
May 19, 2022     A/C Continuted...       Category: Air Conditioning
Started to route the A/C hoses. Had to drill some holes in the fuselage bulkheads to allow the hose to pass through. Before connecting the hose I drilled the Battery Vent hole in the bottom of the fuselage and attached the drain nipple. I'm going to have to study the hose routing more in the tunnel area. I may have to reach out to Luiz again. I also hung the A/C Blower relays on the Blower Deck mount. looks like there are some molex connectors for the wire bundle.


 
May 17, 2022     We Picked an N Number!       Category: Registration
With Tomoko's help we picked an N Number. We decided on N79GU. 1979 is the year that we were married and started our life on Guam. GU is for Guam as Guam has been so much a part of our life together.


 
May 17, 2022     A/C Continuted...       Category: Flight Controls
Installed the A/C Drain Tubes. But prior to that I realized that I needed to connect the Autopilot Yaw Servo Cables to the Rudder Cables. This was more of a chore that I expected, since I had put the Center Aft Bulkhead Channel in yesterday and it kind of restricted my access to the Tail Cone. First I clamped the rudder in the neutral position, then pulled the rudder cables taught. I do wish I had three hands sometimes. Holding the servo cable clamps in position while tightening the nuts was the issue. The lightbulb went off and I used Cleco Clamps on the Cable Clamps to hold them in position while I adjusted them and tightened the nuts. The A/C Drain was simple and the Blower Box Drain lined up nicely with the fuselage drain. I may have to make a slight adjustment when I get the Battery Vent Drain in position. So, great... I get to crawl back up inside there to install that drain.


 
May 16, 2022     A/C Continuted...       Category: Air Conditioning
Riveted the drain into place today. Used the CS4-4 pulled rivets that were supplied with the SFSA kit. I counter sunk the skin side of the drain and dimpled the fuselage skin to accept the flush rivets. Also riveted the top end of the F-1028 BAGGAGE BULKHEAD CHANNEL to the F-1006D FUSELAGE BULKHEAD. This is because a hose from the A/C will be routed through a lightening hole on the F-1028 Bulkhead Channel. I'm going to have to think about the bottom rivets on the channel piece. I may need some help... Then I trimmed the Tunnel Hose Templates to get ready to drill the holes for the A/C Hoses.


 
May 14, 2022     A/C Blower Box Installation       Category: Air Conditioning
Installed the A/C Blower Box. Still waiting for word from SFSA on the Blower wiring, but as far as I can tell it's correct. The rack for the Blower Box rests on the longeron ridge and clamps down using a cross bar. The final position of the box can be adjusted fore and aft as well as up and down to align with the ducting. The dryer was also mounted and a drain hole in the bottom of the fuselage. Still using Google Translate to help identify parts.


 
May 13, 2022     A/C Blower Installation       Category: Air Conditioning
I figured it was time to start the Air Conditioning installation. I downloaded the Blower Installation instructions from the SFSA Google Drive website and printed them. The first step is to remove the Blower from the Air Box to install the wires. I used Google Translate photo function to translate from Portuguese to English and identify the different wire harness bags. It really seems to help. It appears that I have the 4-speed motor. Unfortunately the photos in the instructions only illustrate the 3-speed blower. I reached out to SFSA asking for assistance and Luiz replied saying I had it correct. Yay!


 
May 12, 2022     Sec. 40 Flap System       Category: Flight Controls
Got the Flap Motor installed today, finishing up Sec. 40. Really not much to it. Making the small bushings was straight forward. I cut them on the band saw and deburred them. I checked the motor for operation with a 9V battery and it worked as advertised. Next thing in this area is mounting the Ray Allen POS-12 Flap Position Sensor. I plan on using an Adel Clamp on the Flap Torque Tube. It seems the easiest for future accessibility and keeps it out of the Tunnel.


 
May 09, 2022     Sec. 40 Flap System       Category: Flight Controls
Got all the F-1030 UHMW Bushings in place. The inboard ones weren't too much problem. The outboard ones were a bit more difficult. Per a suggestion, I used a Scotch-Brite pad to reduce the O.D. and some Boelube and pushed it through and into position. Very tight fit but it worked. Then found that I was one short of AN3-12A bolts used to bolt the Bushings into place. Arrggghhh... Scrounged one from a fellow builder and will pay him back when my order comes in from ACS. Next will be the Flap Motor installation. Will also need to plan on my POS-12 Flap Position Sensor installation.


 
May 01, 2022     Section 40 - Flaps       Category: Flight Controls
Started Sec. 40 today. Had to match and final drill holes in the Flap Crank, Flap Horns and Torque Tubes. There is a Bellcrank Jig with a part number of W-730. For the life of me, I couldn't find it. So, I fabricated one. Using this jig sets the angle of the Flap Horns, relative to the Flap Crank. With a vice grip, clamp the Crank to the table and with the jig installed, measure the length of the tube and set the angle. Then drill holes for the Horns and Torque Tubes and Prime the Tubes. Next was trimming the UHMW Bushings. The required cut is to provide space for the torque tube cover in the floor area of the rear seats. The other trimming is optional. I printed 4 templates and used double sided tape to stick them to each block. It made the cuts very simple. I then bolted the 4 blocks together and sanded them to the same size. Pg 40-4 Step 5 has you slide a bushing down the torque tube over the powder coated area. I used some Scotchbrite to reduce the outside diameter of the powder coat, lubed with Boelube and slid a PVC pipe over the tube and hammered it down the tube. Okay so far but I can see this is going to be an issue getting both bushings into the correct position. Especially the ones on the outboard sides.


 
Apr 29, 2022     Section 39       Category: Flight Controls
Finished Section 39 today. Squared up the Control Sticks and installed the Elevator Pushrod Assembly. Had to make a small jig to set the correct length of the forward Pushrod while in the neutral position and also using the Elevator Bellcrank jig. Also had to make sure the loop in the safety wire goes aroung the bearing, passing between the rod end housing and the WD-1010 Control Column clevis and is captured by the AN4 bolt


 
Apr 27, 2022     Stick Grip Unboxing!       Category: Flight Controls
Received the Infinity Stick Grips today! A very nice product that I'm looking forward to installing. When speaking to JD he convinced me to add the Stick Grip Pivoting Spacer ( SGPS ) to the order. It allows the Stick Grip to pivot +/- 45 degrees from center for better forearm to wrist ergonomics. The Infinity Grips are very popular and according to JD have even been used in movie props. I'll have to keep an eye out for them.


 
Apr 27, 2022     Control Column       Category: Flight Controls
39-7 step 1 has you match drill the Control Sticks and the Control Stick Bases which was a little tricky. One of the Control Sticks wasn't exactly square so getting it to line up wasn't as easy as planned. The outside of the stick and the inside of the base had to be cleaned as it was a tight fit. Then installation of the WD-1010 Control Column. Had to remove the seat pan covers which wasn't too difficult. Just a few screws on each side. Then the control column slides into a slot on the tunnel sides. Then attach the column to the Control Column Mounts. Again with fitting washers on the inside edges of the bases. This time access was much better and it didn't take too long to accomplish.


 
Apr 26, 2022     Push Rods (Continued...)       Category: Flight Controls
Day 2 of trying to install the elevator push rods on to the idler arm. I was able to install the bolt on the top but the two on the bottom turned out to be a real challenge. For the top bolt there are 3 washers on either side of the rod end. On the bottom there is one washer on either side of the rod end. I got Tomoko out to help as her hands are much smaller and she was able to maneuver better around the arm inside the tunnel area. It was very frustrating but we got it done! Thank goodness for the washer wrench! Without it, I don't know how we could have managed.


 
Apr 21, 2022     Push Rods       Category: Flight Controls
Started on Section 39 Control System... First steps are to measure and cut the Pushrod Tubes, installation the Threaded Rod End. I measured the Pushrod Tubes and cut them to length then drilled the Threaded Rod Ends for Safety Wire and Riveting. Drilling the Threaded Rod End for the Safety Wire holes was a little tricky, as I had to drill on a slanted surface. I found that if I just went very slow to start the hole, it worked well. After that it was no issue. I primed the exterior of the pushrods prior to final installation mainly for cosmetics. The plans have you remove the F-1035 Battery/ Bellcrank Mount to install the F-1090 Elevator Pushrod Assembly by feeding it forward through the aft side of the F-1006 Fuselage Bulkhead and into the position. Arrgggh... I had already mounted the Pitch and Yaw servos with the aft F-1091Elevator Pushrod. Got that done now assembling the F-1063 Elevator Idler Arm Assembly.


 
Apr 21, 2022     Center Console and Fuel Selector Valve       Category: Fuel System
I wanted to finish fitting the fuel tank selector valve. To do this several things had to be performed prior to the selector valve installation. Since I'm going with the SFSA Center Console, I had to fit it into position. With the Center Console fit, I had to plan the Throttle Quadrant position. I used a long Phillips screwdriver to locate the position of the main fuel line feed. The aft portion of the Console needed to be notched out to allow the Console to move aft, as it covered the Fuel Selector Valve. The aluminum tunnel covers needed to be cut into sections for future inspection. Also, cuts need to be made to accommodate the Control Approach Rudder Pedal arms that connect to the rudder cables. The Van's Fuel Selector Valve Bracket will not fit the Andair valve so it needed to be removed and modified to fit the new valve. The Andair valve requires an extension that will allow connection from the valve to the selector. The custom fuel lines are too short to go all the way to the top of the tunnel. The top of the center console needed to be cut as well as where the Throttle passes thru to fit the Throttle Quadrant. Bill Donahoe had a clever solution that I think I'll copy. There is a space at the top of the Console that will need to be modified with fiberglass to fill the gap. Mounting the Throttle Quadrant required some thought as to how to attach. I elected to use Rivnuts for mounting. I believe that this will make future maintenance more accessible.
Update: It was recommended that I cut out around the fuel selector plate to make it easier to remove the center console for future maintenance.


 
Apr 02, 2022     Empenage Attach       Category: Fuselage
Bolted the elevators and rudder in place. I must say that getting the nyloc nuts set in place was more luck than technique. I think that using needle nose pliers to hold the nut while using a ratcheting wrench on the bolt side may have worked the best. Then mounted the elevator push rod and adjusted the rod end bearings using the bell crank jig. Next I threaded the Trim Cable to the Pitch Trim Cable Attachment Brackets. These are very nicely milled aluminum brackets made by IFLYRV10.com. Too bad nobody will ever see them. To check the Ray Allen trim servo operation I rigged up a battery to the switch provided with the servo. Worked very well. Then worked on rigging the trim tabs. Took some time to adjust and finally got it so that the deflection seems correct with the tabs aligned with the elevators when in the neutral position.


 
Mar 23, 2022     Empenage Attach       Category: Fuselage
Finished drilling the elevator horn. Then mounted the horizontal stab to the tail cone. Feeding the trim cables went fairly smooth with the lighted 24-In flex-shaft mechanical pickup tool. I fed it into the rear spar hole and grabbed the end of the cable and pulled it through. Worked very well! I got Tomoko to help out by crawling into the tail cone to set some nuts that I couldn't reach. After that I back tracked a bit and accomplished the SB-00002 to update the vertical stab bottom rudder hinge bracket and rudder stop. I had to remove the original and replace it with an updated version. A newly designed bracket and much beefier rudder stop. Had to deepen the counter sink some of the screw holes on the aft spar. Also two holes needed to be filled with AN426AD4-7 rivets that I noticed were slightly long, so I trimmed them to the correct length. Once that was complete, on to mounting the vertical stab. It included using some Permatex Anti-Seize paste on the forward bracket. It's nice to see some tail feathers on the plane. It's giving me some motivation!


 
Mar 07, 2022     Finish and FWF Kit Arrival!       Category: Fuselage
The Finish and FWF Kit's arrived today! I ordered the kits 1/18/21. Over one year lead time. Just slight damage to the side of the crate. No inside damage that I could tell. They sure use a lot of paper wrapping. Among other things the kits contain the doors, front seats, engine cowling, landing gear, engine mount, etc... A few items are on backorder but they are for a later stage of the build. Inventory begins!


 
Feb 27, 2022     Elevator Attach       Category: Empennage
Section 11 work on the Elevators attach to the Horizontal Stab. The plans say to use Duct Tape to secure the elevators in the "trail" position. I found that tape wasn't stable enough and elected to use wood hand screw clamps. It was much more stable. After I filed the bushing to fit in the center bearing the plans call for using a #30 drill to make a pilot hole. It seemed to allow to much play inside the bushing and I elected to used a #33 drill to eliminate the wobble. Now I want to verify the center bearing hole alignment with the holes I drilled before I move on to the holes for the push rod.


 
Feb 26, 2022     Elevator Re-work       Category: Empennage
Section 11. Finished up the elevators and got the trim tab hinge pin re-safety wired. I'm much more happy how it turned out this time. Started to mount the elevators on the horizontal stab. Using the temporary assembly pins is a great help. So far only slight adjustment to get a nice, even 1/8" gap along the outboard edge of the horizontal stabilizer and the inboard edge of the elevator counterbalance arm. And no interference! Now I need to check the travel limits. Found a matrix on VAF that has the Min/Max Travel for all the flight controls.


 
Feb 22, 2022     AEA Avionics Installation Course       Category: Training
Attended the AEA Garmin Avionics Installation for Experimental Aircraft Course in Kansas City Feb. 16-18. AEA (Aircraft Electronics Association) is a first class operation with a state of the art facility. This course is targeted for the home builder who wants to learn about performing an avionics installation in an experimental aircraft. The class focused on the Garmin G3X Touch system, and a simplified example harness was constructed as part of the hands-on portion of the class. The G3X is the primary focus. It was an excellent course, presented by Levi Self, owner of Midwest Avionics, a very experienced instructor and former Garmin engineer. The tools were all professional grade which made assembling the practice harness more easy, rather than fighting poor quality tools. I believe that taking the course is of value, even if not planning on doing your own installation, as it provides a basic understanding of the Garmin schematics in pin-outs. On Thursday, the second day of class, we were welcomed by a fairly substantial snowstorm which gave us about 4~5 inches by lunch time. By the time the class let out, the snow had stopped and getting back to the hotel wasn't too much of an issue.


 
Feb 11, 2022     Elevator Re-work       Category: Empennage
Wanted to do some re-working on the elevators. Better leading edge bending with the help of Tomoko. An extra set of hands really helps. I elected to go with flush pulled rivets. New elevator horns, etc...


 
Dec 30, 2021     Kit Order Status       Category: Wings
Ordered QB Wings September 2020. Thinking that the wings would be coming in summer of 2021 and the lead time for the Firewall Forward and Finish Kits would only be a few months I ordered these kits January of 2021. I was hoping to combine the shipping into one. Still waiting.... Other projects are able to keep me working but it is still disappointing.


 
Sep 20, 2021     Big Ass Fan       Category: Hangar
Okay, it's not the airplane... I had a Big Ass Fan installed in the hangar today. Yay!


 
Aug 19, 2021     Rudder Cables       Category: Fuselage
Ran the rudder cables. The folks a South Florida Sport Aviation provided 5/16" split clear plastic tubing to run the rudder cables inside of. I am assuming this to to provide protection to other hoses that will be located in the tunnel area. I need to get advise on how much the tubing has to cover in the tunnel area. In the tail area the cable exits the fuselage before connecting to the rudder horns. As many others have. I added fairings to cover the exit area of the cable. I elected to use flush pulled rivets. I had to call Paul Grimstad regarding how to connect the cables to the Control Approach Rudder Pedals. I would have thought by looking at it that the spade end of the cable would fit between the ends of the arms. Rich Jankowski was also a bit puzzled and we brought it to the attention of Bill Donahoe who is at the same stage of his build. Talking to Paul, he suggested using Van's method, using Clevis Pins and Castle Nuts to connect a manufactured Rudder Cable Linkage made from 1/2" wide, .050 thick 4130 steel. Now that I see this it makes sense, because I'll have to determine the linkage length once the rudder is installed.


 
Aug 12, 2021     Rudder Pedals and Brake Lines       Category: Flight Controls
Installed the Control Approach custom rudder pedals by Paul Grimstad. They are joined in the middle with two interlocking tubes and bolted together. They drop in the Van's Delrin blocks on the sides but the center block and AN4H-4A bolts are supplied by Paul. These bolts have a hole drilled in the bolt head to allow for safety wiring. I chose a middle position for the pedals. If needed I can adjust later. Then I connected the brake lines. They run from a reservoir on the firewall, through the firewall with an AN826-4D tee fitting, into the right seat master cylinders. Then over the top to the left seat pedals and into the parking brake valve. From the parking brake valve they run down the tunnel to the left and right side brake lines. I'm trying to make the brake line runs a neat as possible using the TSFlightlines fluidlines. So far, I think it's working out.


 
Jul 23, 2021     Planning Fuel Line Runs       Category: Fuel System
I'm planning the standard Airflow Performance Fuel Pump and Filter with TS Flightlines fluid lines. I'm not installing the "Red Cube" Fuel Flow Transducer in the tunnel. I plan on locating it on the Air Box. I assembled the fuel pump and filter by removing the gold AN nipple and O-ring. Put the O-ring on the filter side and attach the filter to the pump. It rests nicely in the pump/filter cradles. There are two fuel lines in the kit that are marked "Andair Valve to Firewall - no Transducer". So, the longer line goes from the firewall fitting over the heater duct and down to the output side of the pump. The shorter line with the 90 degree elbow goes from he input side of the filter up to the fuel valve. Still waiting for the replacement fuel valve... I ordered an extension for the fuel selector valve as well to accommodate the location and the SFSA center console. I'll need to fabricate a new fuel selector bracket for the Andair FS20 Type 7 Valve.


 
Jul 22, 2021     Brake Line Installation in the Tunnel       Category: Brake System
Ran the brake lines up the tunnel toward the firewall today. The left line is slightly shorter for the bend up and over toward the Parking Brake Valve. Used three Adel Clamps on each side of the tunnel then up the firewall and through a hole on the rudder pedal brace. There is a nut plate in the center of the firewall for two Adel Clamps to route the hoses together. I removed three rivets on each side of the tunnel that were securing the forward floor and enlarged the holes to accept the screws for the clamps. I added a rubber grommet to hold the lines securely in the rudder pedal brace. The hardest part was the Adel Clamps. I used a technique I saw on EAA Hints for Homebuilders, where Dick Koehler used safety wire to hold the clamp together while installing it. I was concerned at first that the lines may be too long but after installation they seem to fit very well. So far a very clean installation. Kudos to Tom Swearengen at TS Flightlines.


 
Jul 17, 2021     Brake Line Installation Under the Seat       Category: Brake System
Began installation of the Brake Lines. I ordered custom Stainless Braid Teflon fluid lines from TS Flightlines. They seem to be very good quality and so far Tom Swearengen has been very helpful and great to work with. Van's instructions start out having you enlarge a hole on the hole on the bottom skin to 5/8" to accommodate a AN837-4D 45 degree nipple through the Gear Support. Then I started with the under seat lines. The lines rest in the bottom half of the System Bracket. I split a plastic bushing to protect the brake lines. After the fuel lines are installed another top half of the bracket is installed. The fuel lines will also be placed on this bracket with another part of the bracket installed on top to secure it all. The brake lines go inward to the tunnel and are routed through the tunnel skin with a AN833-4D 90 degree nipple. The tunnel brake lines are routed forward toward the firewall, under the heat duct tee and between the Heater Bypass Valves and bend up and over to the Parking Brake Valve.


 
Jul 15, 2021     Parking Brake       Category: Brake System
Installed the Parking Brake System today. I'm using the AirWard Parking Brake Kit. The kit uses the Matco PVPV-D Valve, which is two valves ganged together and mounted to the firewall with an adapter. It's a very well manufactured kit but the illustrations on installation instructions are pretty much useless. You start by installing two nutplates in the adapter plate. Then attach an arm to the bottom of the Adapter Plate. The nyloc nuts were 13/64. Very small. I then attached the two AN816-4D straight nipples and the two AN822-4D 90 degree nipples to the valves. The kit supplied the Loctite 567 thread sealant which is applied to the NPT side of the nipple. The instructions have you remove the Van's Brake Bracket and install the Adapter in its place. The holes from the Brake Bracket line up perfectly to the Adapter Plate. The counter sunk holes on the back of the Adapter are aligned to allow the part to nest in the dimples on the cabin side of the firewall. There are two screws that are in the center of the Adapter you set from the engine side of the firewall and seal with Loctite. Then six 426AD3-4 flush rivets. They give you the option of using CCC-32 cherry rivets if access is an issue, but the standard rivets worked fine. I decided to put some labels on the valve for future reference. An arrow for flow direction, Right and Left valve, and even the size of the 3/32 Allen Set Screw used for the Cable Nut. It's a nice kit and easy to install. I may send AirWard some of my pictures so they can update their instructions.


 
Jul 01, 2021     Tunnel Access Inspection Panels       Category: Fuselage
Installed two inspection access panels in the tunnel area for the fuel pump, filter and selector. Took awhile working out the combination of tools that worked best for me to accurately cut the holes. The Tunnel Access Panel Kit from AirWard is very nice with good instructions for the installation. I had to start by removing some LP4-3 rivets from the bottom edge of the floor panel. The kit came complete with all the necessary hardware. It was recommended to me to stagger the position of the openings to allow easier access to the fuel pump and filter. The holes lined up fairly well. Just some minor match drilling. Then drilled the corners with a step drill bit. I started cutting the hole with a small pneumatic reciprocating saw then trimmed it with a die grinder with a thin metal disk. I did substitute K1100-08 nutplates for the K1000-08 nutplates, as I wanted to dimple the doubler plate for the flush rivets and MS24694S4 machine screws.


 
Jun 28, 2021     Airconditioning and Interior Delivery       Category: Air Conditioning
Ordered and received the Air Conditioning and Interior kits from South Florida Sport Aviation. Really nice kits and Eliane was a joy to work with. However, the shipping company they used left quite a bit to be desired. They used R+L Carriers. I will do my best to avoid them in the future. After my inventory, I believe all the parts made it and only some slight damage to the fiberglass overhead panel. The good news is that I'm quite happy with the products from SFSA. They are produced in Brazil not far from Sao Paulo by Flyer Industria Aeronautica who has been building RV's under license since 1983. Word has it that Van's will soon be using them as another source for their QB components in addition to their associates in the Philippines to help mitigate supply chain issues. All the documentation from SFSA is downloaded. The instructions are a little vague as far as I can tell so far. But there are others nearby that have installed the same A/C, so I hope I have some local resources.


 
Jun 15, 2021     Main Battery Cables       Category: Electrical
Working on the Main Battery Cables. Used my new Terminal Tool for crimping the terminals to the 2 GA cable. The tool works very well and provides a nice crimp/swage. I need to make some more holes in the Fuse ribs to run the cable but it made a nice installation. I ran out of 1/2" heat shrink, so had to order some more. Should come tomorrow. The "fake" battery empty case is really helpful for fitting and placing the wiring. I need to fabricate some support structure for the battery as Van's doesn't plan for the EarthX type battery.


 
May 27, 2021     Terminal Tool       Category: Tools
Got to practice with a new tool today. A colleague developed and manufactured a unique battery terminal crimping tool made especially for the heavy gauge battery cables. This is an interesting tool as it claims to actually shrink the terminal around the cable. He doesn't produce this tool any longer but had some extra components that he keeps on hand for any warranty issues. He put together a kit for me as we had the same interests in aircraft building. So, today was practice. I used some 2 gauge welding cable and terminals I purchased at the local welding supply store. It's required to be mounted in a vice, which is the only drawback. The cables need to be planned well in advance. The tool is very well constructed and seems to make excellent crimps / swage. I obtained a "fake" empty “E” case for fitment of the battery from EarthX which is the same case as the ETX900-VNT that I am planning on using.


 
May 26, 2021     Static Line Run       Category: Avionics
Got the preliminary run of the static line today. Had to crawl up into the tailcone and over the autopilot servos. I'm running it up the left side as I plan an alternate static port switch on the left side of the instrument panel. The challenge here is trying to decide what ribs or bulkheads I can make additional holes in. I found two in the upper end of the 2 ribs directly over the wing spar. I ran the Static Line through the upper hole in each rib and plan to run the Battery Cable in the lower holes.


 
May 23, 2021     Rear Seat Floor Pans       Category: Fuselage
Finished installing the Rear Seat Area F-1016C-L/R Floor Pans. Lot's of pulled rivets. I contacted Vans and asked if a substitute pulled rivet could be used rather than the AN470AD4-4 around the edge flanges. I was informed that MSP-42 Cherry Rivets would be satisfactory as the shear strength was the same as the AN470AD4-4 rivets. This made the installation much more easy to perform solo.


 
May 06, 2021     Tie Downs       Category: Fuselage
Stated to install some Anchor Point Tie Downs. I wanted some in the rear passenger area floor panels. I'll also put some in the Baggage Area. Very nice Tie Downs. Low profile when the quick release ring is removed. I elected to use Rivnuts for this installation, as finding Nutplates for 6 mm screws was difficult.


 
May 05, 2021     Tech Counselor Visit       Category: Inspection
Rich Jankowski stopped by with the paper work for a Tech Counselor Visit he made 4-10-21 after our last EAA Chapter Meeting. Rich always has many good suggestions. We discussed electrical runs and ideas for external antenna alternatives.


 
Apr 10, 2021     Access Panels       Category: Fuselage
Made some access panels for under the rear seat pans. Possible access for VHF Comm Antennas. Made this one from scratch. Used K1100-06 nutplates, which are a little hard to find for a reasonable price. Found a vendor in Puyallup, WA that had good prices.


 
Apr 07, 2021     Sec. 33 Baggage Area       Category: Fuselage
Started on Sec. 33. The Baggage Area floors are already dimpled and drilled with the Quick Build Fuse. Earlier, I had cut an access panel in each of the floor panels. I'll also make an access panel under the rear seat floors. Today I cut the Lower Rear Seat Hinges, including removing two center eyes on each hinge so as to make the hinge pins removable. This same method will be used for the baggage door hinge. Then clecoed the floors into place. Also match and final drilled the baggage door frame seal parts. I plan to run wires prior to the final riveting.


 
Apr 04, 2021     Tailcone Attach       Category: Fuselage
Finally finished the tailcone attach. Got Tomoko and Sheena to help out. I think that does it for Sec. 32. It all worked out very well and I'm looking forward to moving on to the sec. 33 and the baggage compartment.


 
Mar 18, 2021     Tailcone Attach       Category: Fuselage
Started to rivet the Tailcone to the Fuse today. Got my daughter and her boyfriend, Melvin to assist. Started on the bottom and back riveted most of them. Up the sides was traditional bucking bar. The bottom aft line need to be re-done as most of them just didn't turn out as nice as I was hoping for. No worries. Drill out the bad and do over. Got most done today. Hope to get back tomorrow and finish up.


 
Mar 16, 2021     Baggage Door - (2 hours)       Category: Fuselage
With the help of Tomoko was able to finish up riveting the Baggage Door. I needed help holding the door in a position that I could shoot and buck the rivets on the door skin to the frame. The frame was more accessible for the Hinge so could squeeze those. Installed the lock and then closed up the back skin with Blind Rivets. The final step will be to mount it to the door frame but I want to modify the hinge as well.


 
Mar 11, 2021     Baggage Door       Category: Fuselage
Jumped ahead a bit. Section 34, Baggage Door. Waiting for some help to rivet the Tailcone to the Fuse. So I thought that I would get to work on the Baggage Door. Match drilled and deburred and dimpled all the parts. Primed and it's pretty much ready to rivet. I purchased a lock and some door seal material. The lock latch was slightly long so used the belt sander to trim it to a better size. I need some help to help hold and stabilize the door to rivet it. I used a metal ruler with holes that I pre-drilled as a jig to drill holes in the piano hinge. Made drilling and spacing the holes very easy.


 
Mar 11, 2021     Section 29 and Main Landing Gear Support       Category: Fuselage
In Section 29 and I was looking at the SL-00033 just to familiarize myself with that area. On the main landing gear mounts, I noticed that on the forward support which attaches to fwd floor skin/floor rib, the aft bolt on both left and right sides hadn't been tightened. Looking it up in the plans I could see it was backed by a nutplate so very simple to tighten and properly torque. I told a friend who took delivery of his QB fuse just a few months before me and he noticed the same loose bolts. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the cracking issue, but I sent an email to Van's to give them a head's up.


 
Feb 26, 2021     Pitch and Yaw Autopilot Servos       Category: Avionics
Finally back to work. Got the Pitch and Yaw Autopilot Servos installed. Very straight forward with the Garmin brackets.


 
Feb 07, 2021     ELT Power Jack       Category: Avionics
Had to do some soldering. The power and control plug for the ELT needed to be assembled. I found it odd that they would say to solder rather than use a jack that could be crimped and connected with D-Sub pins. It had been awhile since I had done any soldering and I needed lots of practice before I started on the actual parts. I think it turned out pretty well. I ordered some Loctite 59530 RTV Silicone sealant as recommended in the ACK installation manual.


 
Jan 23, 2021     Tailcone Skin Riveting - (3.5 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Finally got to finish riveting the aft tailcone skin. My daughter helped to buck rivets inside the tailcone. She's really got the technique down on how to buck rivets on the curved radius and if the flange isn't tight against the skin.


 
Dec 05, 2020     Tailcone Skin Riveting - (2 hours)       Category: Fuselage
Got my daughter to help buck some rivets in the tailcone.


 
Oct 24, 2020     Tailcone Attach - (2 hours)       Category: Fuselage
First step of my Tailcone Attach. Got my wife, daughter and her boyfriend to help maneuver the tailcone into position and to cleco it into place. This is only the preliminary step to be able to match drill all the rivet holes. Then we take if off to dimple the holes before putting it back on.


 
Oct 05, 2020     Let There Be Light!       Category: Hangar
Had some new and very bright, LED lighting installed today. Getting ready for colder weather when I'd prefer to keep the hangar door closed.


 
Oct 02, 2020     Step Installation       Category: Fuselage
Installed the Steps and Inspection Panels in the Baggage Compartment Floors. Drilled Pilot Holes for a socket access point in the bottom of the Fuse and the Baggage Compartment Floors above the securing bolts. Then used a step drill bit to enlarge to 3/4". I'm using a plastic plug to seal the bottom hole.


 
Sep 28, 2020     Powder Coated Parts       Category: Fuselage
Got some parts powder coated today by Tim Plasek of Spring Powder Coating. Lives in my neighborhood just around the corner and works from his garage. Does really nice work. Even showed me a textured coating that has me thinking of other areas that I might consider using power coating.


 
Sep 12, 2020     BAGGAGE FLOOR ANGLES       Category: Fuselage
Got up to the hangar today for just a little bit. I've been needing an extra hand to buck the rivets on the BAGGAGE FLOOR ANGLES. Got Tomoko to come out and help. Was able to use the "Special Bucking Bar" for the tight area between a rib and the skin. Also filled 4 holes where the Fuel Flow Transducer Bracket was. I intend to mount the "little red box" transducer on the engine, so the bracket inside the tunnel wasn't needed. So we filled the holes with rivets.


 
Jul 30, 2020     QB Fuse       Category: Fuselage
Finished riveting the FWD floor panels. All pulled rivets and the pneumatic riveter worked well. Now I have to figure how to rivet the Baggage Door Shims. I'll most likely need some assistance. The Special Bucking Bar may help in reaching into the narrow area at the forward end.


 
Jul 30, 2020     Trailing Edge Squeezer Pins       Category: Tools
Found this cool tool by accident at Cleveland Aircraft Tool. I knew that they had one for the R-14 trailing edge but not for the regular RV trailing edges. Since I had started out wanting to build an RV-14 I had purchased that one. I had loaned it to a friend and it worked out very well. Then I loaned the regular RV tool to another friend and it also worked out well. Hope I get a chance to use it myself someday.


 
Jul 23, 2020     QB Fuse       Category: Fuselage
Worked on the MID SEAT RAIL SUPPORTS . The flanges required some small trimming. Then riveted the parts together. Plans say to set aside for later installation. Removed the Fuel Flow Transducer Bracket. The location I'm planning is mounted on the engine, so this will not be needed. I'll have to fill those holes in the bottom skin. Removed the baggage door. Then dimpled and clecoed the the baggage door shims in place. Continuing along, I started to rivet the forward floor skins using pulled rivets. I found that removing the UPPER FORWARD FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY helped to gain easy access. It had to come off anyway. Holes for the CS4-4 rivets were already drilled and dimpled. But the LP4-3s will need to be final drilled.


 
Jul 19, 2020     QB Fuse       Category: Fuselage
Started going through the plans vs what was accomplished in the QB Fuse. The floor boards were temporarily pop-riveted in place, so I removed them to gain access below. Found some random unmarked aluminum pieces taped to the Steps, so had to search the plans to find them. Turns out they are shims used below the baggage door. Now I have to figure how to rivet these shims in place. I was hoping to leave the baggage door in place to give the Fuse some rigidity until the tail cone was attached, but I probably will have to cut it out. It looks like enlisting some help and using the Empennage Bucking Bar will be needed to get in the tight area by the side skin and baggage floor ribs. I was looking at installing the Steps. They have been primed and seem ready for paint. I will probably decide to Powder Coat them. Also, the plans call for AN3-20A bolts to pin the steps in place. I could not find these bolts in any bag or even on the inventory list. I'll look again but in any event I placed an order for them.


 
Jul 08, 2020     Pitch and Roll Servo Bracket       Category: Avionics
Installed the Garmin GSA 28 Pitch and Yaw servo bracket. Had to drill out 4 rivets that were already set and connecting the Bellcrank Ribs to the Fuselage Frame. The bellcrank required a #12 hole to be drilled to accept a small pushrod that connects the servo to the elevator. I don't have the servos yet but the brackets are ready. I chose to go with the Garmin RV-10 Yaw bracket. It's rather expensive but its easy to install. Other builders have used the RV-14 bracket and modified it.


 
Jul 07, 2020     ELT Bracket (continued)       Category: ELT
Finished mounting the ELT bracket today. Decided to rivet the angle aluminum together as there wasn't enough room for nuts. It's actually a much cleaner look. With the bracket in place, I finished attaching the Elevator Trim Actuator Sub-Assembly to the Aft Deck.


 
Jul 05, 2020     ELT Bracket       Category: ELT
It's said to locate the ELT as far aft as possible. The space on the Aft Deck is accessible under the Vertical Stab fairing. I borrowed this idea from Joe Waltz. I Started to make a bracket for the ELT in the tail cone, just forward of the horizontal stab on the aft deck using 3/4" angle aluminum and mounting the ELT bracket on top. Had to cut some holes in the angle bracket to route the elevator trim cables.


 
Jun 14, 2020     Horizontal Stab Attach       Category: Empennage
Worked on mounting the elevator trim. Noticed some interference with the trim mount bracket and a screw on the bell crank. Had to grind it out to allow free movement. Then had to fish the elevator trim cables through the horizontal stab and out the bottom of the elevator. This was a little tricky but was able to use a flexible lighted claw tool to direct the cable. I used the aftermarket aluminum Elevator Trim Cable Anchor Bracket from iflyrv10.com to secure the trim cable. I was then able to hook up a small 9v battery and switch to check movement of the trim actuator.


 
May 06, 2020     Horizontal Stab Attach       Category: Empennage
Started to attach the Horizontal Stab. Got the rear spar clecoed in place and drilled the Horizontal Stab Attach Bars. Then needed to square up the Stab. I drilled a #40 hole in my tape measure and clecoed it to the center point on the upper skin. I think it worked very well.


 
May 04, 2020     Elevator Attachment       Category: Empennage
Worked on attaching the elevators. Filed down a bushing in the drill press, to be used as a drill guide. I used an Allen Wrench to help align the rod end bearings during installation. Lot's of on and off to adjust the elevators to the correct gap on the edge. I finally found Temporary Assembly Pins at Aircraft Spruce. The pins are threaded so the pin holder can be removed — this is necessary to prevent damage to the skin when you move the control surface too far during fitting.


 
Apr 23, 2020     Back to work!       Category: Empennage
Back to work! Got my wife, Tomoko, to help drive some rivets that were in an awkward spot to drive and buck by myself. Got the Aft Deck riveted in place. I'm ready to start the Empennage Attach now.


 
Apr 10, 2020     Settling In       Category: Hangar
Getting settled in to the hangar. Pretty much got the shop area set up again and ready to get back to work.


 
Mar 24, 2020     Moving Day       Category: Hangar
Moving Day! Purchased a 42'x40' box hangar at CXO. Moved the project from the garage to the hangar. Hired a local moving company to help. Well worth it. Now on to putting the shop back together.


 
Feb 19, 2020     Pushrod Assembly       Category: Empennage
Wanted to do something simple and easy to transport while waiting to move to the new Hangar. So I took some time to assemble the elevator pushrod. Had to prime the inside of the tube, per the plans. Cut the tube to length and de-burred. Used the rivet fan to help mark the spacing for the tube holes on a piece of paper. Then taped it in place and drilled in the drill press. Pop-riveted in place and done!


 
Jan 21, 2020     Inventory       Category: Fuselage
Did the inventory on the QB Fuse Kit. No omissions that I could find. Couldn't believe they put AN426AD3-3.5 and AN426AD3-4 rivets in the same little bag. Really??? The Screw gauge was helpful in sorting hardware as well.


 
Jan 16, 2020     Fuse Arrival       Category: Fuselage
Today the QB Fuse arrived! Todd at Stewart Transport and Eric the driver did a fantastic job. What an excellent service they provide. The crane arrangement in the truck is very impressive. I made a Fuse Stand out of some wooden saw horses, 2x6's and caster wheels I got at Lowe's. It made it very easy to get the Fuse from the truck into the garage.


 
Jan 08, 2020     Rudder Pedals - Section 38       Category: Flight Controls
Control Approach custom rudder pedals arrived. Very nice product. Excellent packaging. Paul Grimstad is very good to work with. Looking forward to installing this quality product. I ordered MATCO master cylinders and sent them to Paul for him to install. I also bought some springs from McMaster-Carr that is supposed to act as return springs to help hold the pedals in position.


 
Dec 16, 2019     Tail Cone - Section 11 - Empennage Attach       Category: Empennage
I really enjoy fabricating some of the small parts. Also got to start on some electrical stuff. Crimped some D-Sub pins for the Elevator Servo wires.


 
Dec 16, 2019     EAA Sport Air Workshop - Electrical/Avionics - (16 hours)       Category: Training
Took EAA Sport Air Workshop for Electrical/Avionics with instructor Dick Koehler. It had probably been since High School since I have done any soldering and this class helped. Good class presented basics. Now starting to re-read AeroElectric Connection Aircraft Wiring Guide. I know I'll need some help but this will get me started.


 
Nov 10, 2019     Tail Cone - Section 10       Category: Empennage
It's really starting to look like something now. Putting the tail cone together starts to give an idea as to the scale of this. Got the hard to reach rivets with the help of my daughter Sheena. Will get to the aft deck next. Majority of skins were back riveted. Turned out very nice. For the flanges on the curved part of the bulkheads I got my daughter Sheena to help buck. I used a sliced off portion of a rubber tube as sort of a shim to help press the flange tight and set the rivet about half way. Then removed the tube and set the rivet the rest of the way. Plan to run some wires for the elevator trim and tail light before I close up the top skins.


 
Jun 27, 2019     Tech Counselor Visit       Category: Inspection
Joe Waltz stopped by today for my first Tech Counselor Visit. He said all looked good and I was making good progress.


 
Jun 11, 2019     Primer and HVLP Spray Gun       Category: Paint
I've elected to prime the interior parts. I'm using SEM Self Etching Primer and the purple Harbor Freight HVLP Spray Gun. I found a very good YouTube video on how to set up and clean the spray gun. The tip is VERY hard to remove the first time. Almost like it was not intended to be removed. I was able to order the SEM Primer by the quart and used a Mixing Mate Paint Lid I found on Amazon. Some small parts I used SEM in a Rattle Can.


 
May 22, 2019     Elevators - Section 9       Category: Empennage
Made both elevators at same time. It helped to keep me organized. Back riveting the ribs to the skins is straight forward. Got to use the special elevator bucking bar. It actually worked quite well. I used it for both upper and lower skins. Using pulled rivets and standard hand rivet puller for ribs was no issue. Used a 4" yoke on the Rivet Squeezer to set the rivets on the leading edge skin to the leading edge spar flange. Trailing edge worked out well. Used the trailing edge jig to cleco the skins in place. I used silicone paste to cote the jig so it wouldn't stick to the skin when the Chem Seal was applied. I then used Chem Seal again for the foam ribs and the trailing edge. Cut the lead balance weights and trimmed to the same weight for both sides. I'm using the aftermarket trim billet rather than the nut welded on a small stainless part. Much nicer. Then on to the trim tabs. Made a "break" out of some nice oak 1x4s and a piano hinge to bend the trailing edge of the trim tabs. Bending the tabs on the ends of the trim tabs was a little nerve wracking but it worked out. Really need an extra hand to roll the leading edges. I found that if I roll the top skin first then roll the bottom skin tight and inside of the top skin with someone holding the top skin out of the way it works best.


 
Apr 27, 2019     Horizontal Stab - Section 8       Category: Empennage
This Horizontal Stab is huge! Lot's of de-burring. Had to fabricate elevator attach brackets. Messed up the first one's but the second set came out quite nice. Got Sheena to help with some of the riveting in tight areas. Also used a Arrow RL-100 riveter for some of those tight areas. Hard to find this tool as it's not manufactured anymore. Thank you eBay!


 
Mar 30, 2019     Rudder - Section 7       Category: Empennage
Finishing the rudder. Used angle aluminum, with holes drilled for clecos, as a jig to help keep the trailing edge straight while the adhesive sets up. I put a thin layer of silicone paste to keep the jib from sticking to the skin if any adhesive got out. Very happy how the trailing edge worked out. Rolling the leading edge was accomplished with two different diameter PVC pipes to get the roll right. The larger pipe didn't get the edge rolled enough to prevent pillowing between rivets.


 
Jan 29, 2019     Vertical Stab - Section 6       Category: Empennage
Well here we go! The very first step involves cutting flange material from the spar caps. I used a block of wood to help stabilize the aluminum piece as I made the cut with the band saw. Then used the bench sander to smooth it out. Joe Waltz recommended fabricating a single piece rudder stop, rather than using the two pieces riveted to the hinge bracket. He said that there had been reports of them snapping off.


 
Jan 19, 2019     Practice       Category: Research
Went to Lowes and picked up some small aluminum sheets to bang some rivets on. I started with the Van's Tool Box Kit which was really fun. Also put together the Van's practice wing kit and tool box kit. Highly recommend these kits.


 
Jan 04, 2019     Workshop       Category: Workshop
Building up the shop in our garage. I made a bench 30"x96" using the EAA plan as a guide. A friend recommended at least 30" wide rather than 24". I got some overhead shelving at Home Depot for storage of larger parts as I plan on only using one bay of our garage.


 
Dec 06, 2018     Kit Arrives       Category: Empennage
The Empennage Kit arrived via FedEx with only slight exterior damage to the crate. The bottom was pulled out a bit. Fortunately no damage to the contents. The driver and his helper were kind enough to use their pallet jack to bring the crate into the garage. Lots of paper wrapping and the strongest duct tape I've ever encountered. Inventory begins!


 
Dec 01, 2018     Sheet Metal Class       Category: Training
Took the EAA Sport Air Sheet Metal Workshop this weekend. Hands-on training in basic sheet metal techniques. Got some basics but tool bags were a mess. Missing items and sort of unorganized. A few fellow CAL/UAL pilots In the class. Tom Massey and wife Anita. Tom Conner, Cliff Schuyler. Several others. The class size was a bit too large for the single instructor to spend any time with individuals. Not much one-on-one. I plan to spend some time at home and use the Van's practice kits to get some more experience in prior to the build. Could have used a stool. Long days standing. Not really sure I'd recommend. I think there area better classes out there.


 
Oct 04, 2018     Research Trip to Van's Aircraft       Category: Research
My wife and I took a short vacation to Oregon. After landing at PDX, we drove out to Astoria and stayed the night at the Cannery Pier Hotel. Should have stayed longer. Then we drove down to McMinnville. We visited Van's Aircraft in Aurora, OR. Did a factory tour and a Demo Flight in an RV-14 with Sterling. I started out wanting an RV-14 but decision was finally the RV-10. Wife really wanted 4 seats, more shade and the easier entry with the solid top and clamshell doors. She wasn't a fan of the tip-up bubble canopy and stepping on the seat to get in and out of the cockpit. After the Demo flight we stopped by Wine Country in the Willamette Valley, and took advantage of the wonderful early fall weather. Our last day was a tour of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum including a tour of the Spruce Goose. Highly recommended trip for anyone contemplating a Van's Aircraft build.


 


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